Fungicide in orange juice

Market fears that U.S. regulators may ban orange juice shipments from Brazil after finding a fungicide prohibited in the United States, which sent orange juice futures to an all-time high on Monday. Here are some facts about this fungicide, which is illegal for citrus in the United States but used in other countries for crops infected with fungal diseases, such as mold, mildew and rot. Which countries allows it? In the United States, carbendazim is approved as a fungicide in paints, adhesives, textiles and ornamental trees. It is not approved for food products. However, another fungicide that is used on food products, thiophanate-methyl, breaks down into carbendazim after application. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thus allows small amounts of carbendazim on 31 kinds of food, including grains, nuts and some fruits like strawberries -- but not on citrus. The EPA ...